Cessna A185E accident near Admiralty Isl, Alaska, October 3, 1992
On October 3, 1992 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna A185E, registered N4755Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Admiralty Isl, Alaska (No Name Beach Area airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE SOFT SAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 1992 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Admiralty Isl, Alaska · No Name Beach Area · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185E · all A185Es on the register
- Registration
- N4755Q · registry record · serial 1212
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT LANDED A WHEEL EQUIPPED CESSNA 185 ON A WELL USED BEACH LANDING AREA. AS THE AIRPLANE SLOWED AT THE END OF ITS LANDING ROLL-OUT, THE PILOT INITIATED A TAXI TURN. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE WHEELS ENCOUNTERED SOFT SAND AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER, DAMAGING THE WINGS AND VERTICAL STABILIZER.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,953 hours in all; 1,698 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,930 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,827 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1992; 143 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JNU Juneau AK at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N4755Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.